Dead Obsession
by Yukimi the Ice Goddess
Summary: Set in the TV Universe. Tenchi has died in a car accident and the girls are taking it pretty hard. But when Washu invents a machine to speak to the dead, Ryoko and Ayeka start to take obsession a little too far...Please Review!
1. Death of an innocent

Hello! This is Yukimi the Ice Goddess again with a new fanfic!

I know, I've been creating fanfics left and right, but I just thought of this idea and I thought it would make a great Tenchi story.

Tenchi Muyo does not belong to me. I hope you enjoy Dead Obsession!

* * *

It was a rare morning in the Masaki household. There was no noise at all and everyone was sound asleep. Even the birds outside were still in slumber. Either that or they were hunting for a breakfast of worms and insects.

Tenchi Masaki slowly opened his eyes that morning and winced as they were hit by a wave of sunlight. Yawning, he rolled over and stretched. His hands hit something soft and warm. Blinking the sleep out of his eyes, he recognized the still sleeping form of Ryoko lying beside him. She hummed pleasantly and nestled deeper into the blankets.

Gasping, Tenchi leapt to his feet and quickly got dressed. What on Earth was she doing in his bed? As if answering his silent question, Ryoko yawned and started to awaken. Tenchi quickly started to leave the room, afraid of what she would do if she saw him awake.

Before he could escape, a fully awake Ryoko grabbed onto him and pulled him back in. "Tenchi, good morning," she said softly.

Blushing, Tenchi carefully pried her hands off of his shoulders. "Good morning, Ryoko. What are you doing here?"

Looking slightly hurt, Ryoko thrust her face into his. "Do you need to ask, Tenchi? I was feeling so lonely during the night..." She gently caressed the back of his neck and said, "Did you know I'm afraid of the dark?"

Ryoko was painfully interrupted by an incoming projectile. Ayeka stomped into the room and pulled Ryoko off of the object of her affection. "Get away from him, you monster! Can't you keep away for at least a few hours into the morning!" she yelled. Aware that Tenchi was watching, she straightened up and blushed. "G-good morning, Lord Tenchi."

Tenchi grinned awkwardly at the Jurai princess. "Good morning, Ayeka. What are you doing up?"

Ayeka started twirling a piece of her hair between her fingers while she explained. "Oh, well, I was awakened by the awful noise Ryoko was making. I just knew that something was dreadfully wrong, so I..."

At that moment, Ryoko jumped in. "Listen, Miss Prissy, I wasn't doing anything loud! Tenchi and I were having a private conversation."

"Then it is a good thing I interrupted!" Ayeka fumed. "Tenchi just woke up! And you were loud enough that I heard you!"

Ryoko snorted, "You were probably listening in."

"Are you accusing me of eavesdropping?"

"What if I am?"

As the two girls continued their feud, Sasami edged her way in and said to Tenchi, "Breakfast is ready. I woke up extra early to prepare it."

"Thanks, Sasami," Tenchi said gratefully and followed her out of the room, unnoticed by the two quarreling girls.

* * *

"Tenchi, could you please go to the market for me today?" Sasami asked after breakfast. "Everyone seems to be busy here, and since it's a Sunday..."

Tenchi smiled at the young girl. "Sure, I'll go. I think it would be a good idea to get out of the house."

Sasami grinned up at him. "Do you mean because of Sister and Miss Ryoko? I think they've cooled down already." Sasami was indeed right. Having come down to breakfast late with bruises all over them, they were still eating their meals.

Tenchi grimaced. "It's not that...I just need some fresh air. I would have gone out even if you hadn't told me to."

Hearing Tenchi speaking in the other room, Ryoko got up and flung her arms around him. "Tenchi," she said sweetly, "could you get me something to eat at the market? I'd just LOVE some pocky."

"Sure thing, Ryoko, I'll look for some. Any particular kind?"

"Chocolate is fine with me! Thank you Tenchi!"

Ayeka walked over and glared at the space pirate. "You cannot give him any peace, can you? Tenchi has better things to do than run errands for..."

"Would you like something too, Ayeka?" Tenchi interrupted.

Blushing, Ayeka stared into space as if in deep thought. After a moment she smiled sweetly at him and said, "Some mochi would be a nice treat."

"I'll get you some. Goodbye, everybody," Tenchi said, waving to the household as he left with Sasami's list.

"Goodbye, Tenchi!" Ryoko called, inwardly seething. Ayeka didn't even have to ask for anything. He offered to get her something!

Ayeka chuckled at the peeved look on Ryoko's face. "You just cannot stand to lose for a change, can you?" she said.

Ryoko's placid expression broke. "Nobody asked you, princess." She leaned into Ayeka's face, burning outrage in her eyes. "You won't be so cocky after Tenchi gets home today."

Ayeka frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I challenge you, Ayeka! The one to make the best gift for Tenchi will have him for good!"

Shocked, Ayeka yelped, "He is not a prize to be won, Ryoko!"

"You're just afraid you'll lose," Ryoko said confidently.

Ayeka growled. "If you are going to play like that, then fine! I accept!"

Sasami looked from one to the other worriedly. She knew that they would end up overexerting themselves and collapse on the floor. She sighed, hoping that she would not get caught up in their squabble.

Ayeka will take too long to make Tenchi's gift, Ryoko thought triumphantly. I will win!

She is so uncultured, Ayeka inwardly sniffed. Tenchi will choose mine over hers any day!

* * *

Two hours later, Tenchi still had not come back to the house. Sasami paced back and forth as she stared at the clock. She was getting very worried. There weren't that many things on the list and the market was not that far away. He should have been back long ago.

Ryoko and Ayeka stood outside of the Masaki residence with their gifts, patiently waiting for their love to return. Ayeka bore a hand-sewn pillow with a lace heart stitched into the center, along with a perfumed letter. Ryoko's gift was a plush Ryo-ohki doll that she had Sasami make for her months ago. "All's fair in love and war," Ryoko had told herself. Both of their faces were the picture of worry.

Sasami stepped outside, closely followed by a yawning Washu. She had just got out of her laboratory after a sleepless night working on a new invention. "What's with them?" she asked sleepily.

Sasami shook her head sadly. "It's Tenchi," she muttered. "He hasn't come back from the market yet."

Washu frowned thoughtfully and peered into the distance. "Isn't that him now?" she said uncertainly. "I see someone coming over the hill." Her eyes narrowed. "Make that three somethings," she added.

Ayeka and Ryoko sat up straight, smiles arriving to their faces. "He's here?" they said in unison, their eyes searching the area Washu had pointed out. Tenchi's father and Grandfather came from the house to investigate. Ryoko and Ayeka cheered and stood up holding their presents.

Mihoshi and Kiyone walked over the hill, carrying something or someone in between them. Kiyone's face was extremely pale and her eyes were red. Mihoshi however was sobbing, her face the picture of despair.

The smiles slid off of Ryoko and Ayeka's faces as they looked at the figure being carried by the two galactic officers. They wordlessly arrived and gently lowered their burden to the ground.

It was Tenchi. His head was covered in blood and his eyes were closed. What remained of his clothes were covered in gravel and his body was a mess. Sasami shakily knelt down beside him and gently pressed her hands to his cheeks, which were cold to the touch. She quickly pulled them away and stood up, tears appearing in her wide horrified eyes.

"What happened?" Washu eventually said, her eyes troubled as she stared at Tenchi's body.

The question made Mihoshi start to begin her crying anew. She buried her head in her hands as sobs wracked her body. Kiyone pulled her closer to her as she began to explain. "We were out on patrol when it happened. We were just about to turn to go back home when we heard Tenchi calling out to us. One of the grocery bags he was carrying slipped out of his hand on the road so he bent down to grab it and...and..." Tears sprung into her eyes suddenly. "He was hit by a car...the hospital was too far away...we tried to take him there, but..." She could not continue because of her grief.

Ayeka and Ryoko stared at her speechlessly, their faces the mask of horror. Suddenly, Ayeka shook her head violently. "No," she cried, denial creeping into her voice. "This cannot be...He would not be so careless..." She bent down and hugged Tenchi's prone form. "Tenchi! No, you cannot be dead! Tenchi!" she cried in despair as her sister tried to pull her away.

Ryoko stood silently as chaos broke loose. Ryo-ohki howled into the air as Tenchi's grandfather bowed his head in silent prayer. Tenchi's father fell to his knees and beat the ground as if that would bring his son back to life. Meanwhile, Sasami tried to subdue Ayeka and stop her from attacking a crying Mihoshi. Kiyone silently handed the grocery bag filled with items to Yosho and bowed respectfully, containing her emotions for a later time.

Ryoko's gift dropped from her hands as she noticed two items in the bag. One was a small bag filled with mochi. Another was a large container of chocolate pocky.

For some reason, seeing those things jolted Ryoko into reality. She fell to the ground as her mind buzzed. She had felt his death as if it were her own. She joined the chaos with a resounding scream and fell crying into Washu's arms.

Tenchi, she cried as she refused all consoling words from Washu.

Tenchi, Ayeka screamed as she finally fell to the ground, exhausted.

Tenchi, I love you...


	2. Washu's Brilliant Invention

Tenchi Muyo doesn't belong to me.

* * *

"It's all my fault!" Sasami cried, in tears for the fourth time in the two days after Tenchi's death. 

A dour shroud loomed over the Masaki household as its residents milled about aimlessly. Without Tenchi, the world seemed to be in black and white to the girls. Washu had shut herself up in her lab without telling anyone. Ryoko and Ayeka had taken to staying in their rooms for hours on end, and when they came out it was only to eat. Of course, Sasami's food didn't taste quite as good now. It wasn't that her cooking had gotten worse, but that the people eating them had lost most of their appetites.

The world was a sad place without Tenchi, even though Sasami and Mihoshi were sitting outside on a cloudless day.

"It's...my fault," Sasami continued to sob, her voice broken and tight. "If I hadn't asked him to go to the market...he never...would have..." She stopped and sobbed into Mihoshi's arms. Mihoshi couldn't help it; she cried too.

Kiyone, who was standing nearby, shook her head sadly. "It's not your fault at all, Sasami," she said. Tenchi's death had affected the senior officer differently than the other girls. She rarely cried. Instead, target practice became a daily routine. For five hours each day, Kiyone would take her gun and shoot at every non-living thing in sight as Ryo-ohki would look sadly on.

"But...!" Sasami protested. She had spent the past two days crying her eyes out, as she felt she was to blame. She cooked almost non-stop. Every dish she made was a little saltier from tears.

Kiyone cut the young girl off. "I was there when you asked him to do that, Sasami. He said he would have gone out without you asking him to. The accident may have happened anyway."

This didn't soothe Sasami. As she cried into Mihoshi's shirt, the galactic officer shook her head and wiped her eyes. "She's right, Sasami..." she said sadly. Mihoshi had cried enough; there were almost no tears left now. "I know you don't want to believe it, but Tenchi was just careless."

"THAT IS A LIE!"

The trio spun around to face a fuming Ayeka. The Jurai princess was staring down at them, absolutely livid. "You are lying! Tenchi could never be careless! I refuse to believe it!"

Kiyone got up and put a comforting hand on Ayeka's tense shoulder. "Ayeka, I saw it happen. He wasn't looking where he was..."

Ayeka shrugged Kiyone away. "Stop it! Leave me alone!" she cried, seeming to shrink into a ball with every word. Her eyes were filled with hatred.

"That's enough!"

Washu came out from the house and stood in front of Ayeka, arms akimbo and eyes piercing. "We are all upset about Tenchi's death, Ayeka. Some of us might not show it, but we are all hurting," she said, looking up at her, inwardly pleading with the princess to make her understand. "Do you think you are the only person who cared about him?"

Ayeka growled. "I said leave me alone! "Stop talking, you..."

She was silenced by Washu's hand slapping against her cheek. "Stop this right now!" Washu snapped. "You are acting like a selfish, spoiled little child! You are not the only one suffering! You're just the only one who feels that nobody else cares! Even Ryoko understands that!"

Ayeka put her hand to her now red cheek, tears streaming soundlessly out of her eyes. Washu softened slightly at the sight of her crying. She pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to Ayeka saying, "Here. He wouldn't want you to be sad. Cheer up, for his sake."

Ayeka hung her head in shame at Washu's words. "Yes," she whispered. "I...I am sorry. I will...go prepare for dinner." She left without another word or look for anyone.

After a moment of silence, Mihoshi piped up. "Uhm...Washu? Did you mean what you said about Ryoko just now?"

Washu shook her head and folded her arms. "No...I had to give her the same talk just a few minutes ago." She sighed, staring off in the direction where Ayeka had left. "Something has got to be done about those two."

She then turned to the shuddering Sasami. "That goes for you, too," she said, soft but firm. "I don't want to see you blaming yourself, all right?"

Sasami sniffled and nodded. "Yes," she whispered.

Kiyone huffed silently. "This place is becoming as gloomy as a cemetery. We've got to do something."

Washu nodded. "Yes, but what..." She stopped short and blinked. Mihoshi and Kiyone recognized the look that Washu got when she thought up her best ideas.

"Washu-san...what are you thinking?" Mihoshi whispered.

Washu didn't even tell Mihoshi not to call her –san. "I'm going to be in my lab for a couple days more," she said slowly, the gears in her head already turning. "Sasami, leave my food outside my door. I've got a lot of work to do."

* * *

Washu didn't come out for three more days. Mihoshi and Kiyone were getting worried, but not half as worried as Sasami, who was piling plates upon plates of uneaten food outside Washu's door. The meals hardly ever disappeared, a sign that the genius scientist was not eating well. 

Finally, on the third day, Washu poked her head out, picked up a plate and called out to the nearest person she could find. "Mr. Masaki? Could you go get Kiyone, Mihoshi, and Sasami for me? Do not let Ayeka and Ryoko know I'm out." Tenchi's father nodded and went to fetch the girls immediately.

* * *

"What do you need to show us, Washu?" 

After being summoned, the three girls followed Washu down the winding staircase that led to her lab. "Just a little something I've been working on," Washu said with a huge grin on her face. "I think you'll be VERY pleased with me."

As they entered the lab, the trio immediately noticed something new. As usual, the lab was filled with all kinds of plant and animal subjects, as well as old discarded or working pieces of machinery. However, something stood out. Near her desk stood what looked to be a large television screen. It had various knobs and switches as well as a large tuning device on the top of it. However, its sides were transparent and almost had an other-worldly feel. The screen itself was on and had thousands upon thousands of names visible. Ghosts of something were floating in the background, but it was not quite certain what they were.

"Wow! Washu, it's humongous!" Mihoshi cried out, more excited than she'd been since Tenchi's accident.

Kiyone walked over to the machine and put her hand on the hull. She immediately withdrew it, exclaiming, "It's cold! I just felt a chill go up my spine!" She turned to the scientist. "What on earth is it?"

Washu got out her fan and spread it, winking at the two girls. "Neat, isn't it? I'd say it's my best work yet!" She laughed with glee. "But what do you expect from the most brilliant mind in the universe?"

Sasami tugged at Washu's clothes. "This isn't a time to be playing, Washu! What is that thing?"

Washu suddenly grew serious and snapped her fan closed. "This, my friends, is the ethereal transmogrifier! See those names on the screen? Those are the names of the recently dead. If you have the DNA of a person, you can do a search." She held up a vial containing some sort of liquid. "Fortunately, I do. I took some of Tenchi's blood after he did and processed it. We can enter this in the machine and his name will come up, along with all of his genetic information."

She went over to the machine and put the vial on a small stand. The liquid in the vial disappeared and the screen began to process the information. Shortly, words appeared dictating Tenchi's personal information, including his blood type, how he died, and how he lived.

Mihoshi blinked. "I don't know how you did that, but it's really neat!"

Kiyone noticed that Washu was about to explain and cut her off. "Don't. Just tell us, how is this useful?"

Washu winked again. "I was hoping you would ask me that," she said. "If you manipulate some of the controls here..." She tapped on the keyboard of her computer, which was attached to the machine and another list popped up. This was a list of dates and times.

"This list shows the dates that Tenchi is busy in the ghost world," Washu said. "Because he just died recently, he's been give menial tasks to do. I've done a lot of research on the spirit realm." She turned around. "Now to get to the point. If we do things right," Washu said.

"...we could talk to him."

The girls' eyes widened as Washu spoke those last words. "What-what do you mean we could TALK to him?" Sasami squeaked.

Washu smiled. "I mean, we could talk to his spirit. He lost his body, but his spirit is still the same. There will never be another guy like Tenchi. That's because his spirit is encased in the other realm. You've heard of people talking to ghosts, right? Well, they don't. They just think they can. But with this machine, it's actually possible! Do you understand the implications of this? Think of what we could do with this device!" She crossed her arms triumphantly. "But for now, we'll just use it for talking to Tenchi."

Sasami cheered and smiled the first real smile she had in awhile. "Can we show Ayeka and Ryoko?"

Washu smiled. "Of course! This is for their benefit. I just wanted to explain it to you guys." She shook her head. "If I made them sit through the explanation, they'd murder me."

Sasami immediately ran to get the girls. As Washu typed in the necessary requirements, she could hear the three coming down into the lab, smiling, she activated the machine.

Ryoko and Ayeka had wondered why Sasami had seemed so excited. Now they didn't wonder any longer.

On the screen was a transparent being. He scratched a see-through head that would normally be covered in dark, spiky hair, but now the hair had no color. He smiled benevolently as his eyes shone with the trustworthiness you always wish you could find in a person. He spoke. "I'm really sorry for worrying you guys," he said.

Ryoko's eyes widened. Ayeka gasped. They both uttered the name that had been on their mind for days.

"...Tenchi."

* * *

I hope you liked this chapter.

I must ask all of you who review to tell me WHY you liked or disliked my story. I'm here on so that I can improve my skills as a writer. So...

Person A: "OMG, this story iz sooooo goood!1111 Plz update! Update!

Person B: A good story. I really like . I think that this part could use some help, but you are doing fine.

Likewise for flames.

Person A: YOu suck, so bad. Never rite again!111

Person B: Well, I felt that was really OOC. You could have . Please try to improve.

I'm just getting a bit tired of people reviewing and not really saying anything. Don't get me wrong, I'm really glad that you are taking the time to review, but please put some thought into it.

And don't be offended by my examples. '


	3. Reunion

Dead Obsession

Chapter 3: Reunion

"It's great seeing you all. I'm sorry for worrying you guys."

Ryoko and Ayeka were aghast. Mouths agape, they stared with wide eyes at the pale green monitor in front of them. Tenchi's kind smiling face beamed back at them, and the more they stared the more they could comprehend. The two girls could have easily thought this was a trick, but it was as if their minds had gone numb. They did not have the presence of mind to feel doubt or suspicion.

This was Tenchi. He may have looked like the rough draft of a sketch, a mere outline of his features, but this was his face, his soul…

After a good thirty seconds of silence, Washu began to grow impatient. "Hey," she snapped at the awestruck duo, "say something to him! I go through all the trouble to invent this machine, call up Tenchi, and bring you two down here, and you don't even take advantage of it? The least you could do is say 'hello' to Tenchi, and 'thank you' to me!"

As if snapping out of a trance, Ryoko and Ayeka both blushed, straightened up, and shouted out "Hello, Tenchi!" in shrill voices. They then immediately lapsed back into their stunned silence.

Washu let out a discouraged sigh and turned to face Tenchi. "They really are glad to see you, Tenchi," she explained somewhat apologetically.

"Don't worry about it," he laughed, merriment twinkling in his now light colorless eyes. "I know they are. I'd probably act the same way if I saw one of you guys…well, down here."

"Where…is 'here?'" Ayeka managed to stammer.

"The spirit world," Tenchi replied. "The land of the dead."

"What's the spirit world like, Tenchi?" Sasami piped up, eager to start conversation. She could already feel the dark atmosphere that had prevailed for days lightening, and she was heartened by it. The tension around them was melting like warm butter. She chanced a quick look over towards her sister and smiled at the hesitant joy in her eyes. Aside from herself, the princess thought, Ayeka had been hit the hardest by the tragedy. Lost in thought, she nearly missed Tenchi's reply.

"Well, since I only just arrived here, I haven't had much of a chance to sightsee. It's a pretty big place. Well, I guess it has to be for all of these dead people to live here," he amended. "Mostly I've been working."

"Working? How do you mean?" Mihoshi interjected.

"Well…it's kind of hard to explain. Basically, all the new souls that come here have to work to get to a certain status. You kind of need to if you want your soul to be reborn." He scratched his head thoughtfully, a nervous smile coming into his face. "But, I have to admit, I really don't know much about it. It's kind of like it is back home, otherwise…except…without all of you guys."

All throughout this conversation, Ryoko had still not moved an inch. Her heart was pounding like a jackhammer. It was as if she were viewing everything that was happening through a lens, or in a small dark room through a looking glass. Such was the depth of her shock.

"Ryoko?"

She gasped and came out of her reverie. Everyone, including Tenchi, was looking directly at her. Realizing that she was trembling slightly, she took a small breath and collected herself.

"Are you okay?" Tenchi asked, concern imprinted on his solidly outlined face.

About to reply, Ryoko was astonished to find that there were tears forming unbidden in her eyes. Hastily wiping them away, she shook her head. "No, I'm all right…it's just…" She smiled up at his worried eyes. "I'm really happy to see you, Tenchi."

"So am I!" Ayeka cried joyfully, tears in her eyes as well. Unlike Ryoko, she did not bother to wipe them away and wept openly and unashamed. Although they did not know it, the two girls were on the same emotional wavelength. They had lost someone dear to them and now, like the sun after days of endless rain, he had returned to warm their hearts with his smile.

They had seen what life had been like without Tenchi and they did not like it at all.

"We all are," Kiyone added, speaking for the first time in a while. She was too busy trying to keep Mihoshi's, as well as her own, emotions under control. The only visible sign of her happiness was a slight content smile on her lips. "We really owe it to Washu for inventing this machine."

Tenchi appeared to look around him, baffled by Kiyone's statement. "I'm not quite sure what you mean," he said, his eyes constantly moving. "I'm kind of seeing this…how do I explain this…like I'm wearing a sort of virtual reality helmet. It's almost like a video game, one of those dating sims."

"As I suspected," Washu muttered under her breath, a triumphant gleam in her eyes. "It wouldn't seem mechanical in the spirit world…"

"Tenchi," Sasami interrupted, startling Washu out of her reverie, "I…I'm sorry…When it comes down to it…it really was all my fault that…"

"That's enough of that talk," scolded Kiyone. "I keep on telling you—"

"But if I hadn't asked him to go to the market—"

"It's still not your fault! If it's anyone's fault, it's ours for not stopping that car!"

"It's not our fault either, Mihoshi! It's nobody's fault!"

"Well, it has to be someone's fault, hasn't it?"

"Don't encourage that kind of thinking! I'm trying to…"

"Uh, guys?" Tenchi said tentatively, amazed that for once Ryoko and Ayeka were not the ones that had started an argument. Eventually, the debate ended of its own accord when it became clear that Tenchi was waiting for them to finish. "Please don't blame yourselves, anyone of you," he said kindly. He was speaking to all of them, but everyone knew he was really talking to Sasami. "You had no way of knowing that something like this would ever happen. I don't want to analyze myself, but…it was a real case of bad timing. And," he continued, noticing that Sasami did not look completely convinced, "if that still doesn't settle all this and one of you still feels guilty…I forgive you."

Those last words made Sasami lose her composure completely. Her face already red with unshed tears, she began to sob and huddled close to her sister. Tenchi's absolution had done its work. As she clung tightly to Ayeka's lavender robe, she slowly let go of her guilt and grief, one teardrop at a time.

This tender moment was broken slightly by the airborne form of Ryoko headed to land in front of Tenchi's monitor. She was carrying something in either arm and seemed to be presenting them to him. As Ayeka strained to see what she was holding, Ryoko began to say in a singsong voice, "Ten-chi, I don't think we should be talking about anything depressing, do you?"

Tenchi seemed visibly relieved after hearing her out. "Yeah, you're definitely right about that. I don't want to talk about…you know, me dying and all."

"Wonderful!" Ryoko gushed. "Then, Tenchi," she said secretively as she thrust the objects towards him for examination, "Which of these things do you like best?"

Suddenly Ayeka realized what the ex space pirate had to be holding. "You cannot be serious about this! Tenchi does not want to participate in this stupid excuse for a contest. You are a monster!" Her face was the picture of outrage.

Ryoko sneered, provoking Ayeka even further. "We were going to do this when he got back from the market, anyways. You agreed to my terms. So," she continued, gleefully noting the throbbing vein in Ayeka's forehead. "There's no reason that we can't continue now. It's as good a time as any."

"When did you even had time to get those?"

"I got both the plush toy and the letter while you were all arguing," Ryoko retorted. "Which of these do you like best?" she repeated, turning back to Tenchi.

As Ayeka continued to grumble about "a time and place" and "the nerve of some people", Tenchi seemed to be looking both of the objects over with a careful eye. The others gave a collective sigh. "Just like Ryoko," they though. Washu, however, turned to the rest of the group and gave them all a small wink.

Kiyone was the first to understand. If Ryoko could act like her own outrageous self, she must have been healing. After directing a nod towards the genius scientist, she waited patiently with the other girls to see the outcome of this undoubtedly inappropriate contest.

After a moment, Tenchi finally spoke his opinion. "Well…I can't really tell for sure…what's the letter say?"

Upon hearing this, Ayeka's face turned bright red. "No!" she gasped. "I—I was supposed to give that to you and private! You cannot read it now!"

Meanwhile, Ryoko had already ripped open the perfume scented envelope and had begun scanning the enclosed pages. "My darling Tenchi, I have always felt…"

"Get away!"

Ryoko cried out in pain as one of Ayeka's force fields secured her body in a vice-like grip. The letter floated down feather-light onto the ground and Ayeka ran over hastily to pick it up, carefully not looking Tenchi in the eye. Pulling a face at Ryoko, she ran back over to Sasami, failing to notice the space pirate's growing rage.

"Right," Ryoko snarled, "That does it."

"Please!" Washu suddenly called out, "Not here! Not here! You'll destroy all the machinery!"

"Here, now, what's going on here?"

The six girls spun around to face the figures of Tenchi's father and grandfather standing in the doorway. Tenchi's father looked bewildered and slightly angry, while his grandfather merely looked amused at Ayeka and Ryoko's antics. The elderly man folded his arms in his long kimono and commented blithely, "A very impressive machine, Miss Washu. Is that a home movie you are watching or is it actually my grandson?"

A panicked look made its way across Washu's face. She burst into hasty laughter. "I'm so sorry! You two should have been the first ones I called down here!"

The other nodded placidly. "Yes, you should have," he agreed readily. "I'm sorry to interrupt this humorous scene, but I would like to speak to Tenchi."

"We'll leave two alone with him, then," Washu said, rushing speedily out of the lab. "Come on, ladies," she called back, "Family comes first in matters like this."

Reluctantly, the rest of the girls followed Washu's lead while calling out sad goodbyes to Tenchi. Waving merrily, albeit slightly nervously, Tenchi turned his attention to his father and grandsire. Ayeka and Ryoko sneaked hurried looks at the object of their affection, secret smiles alighting on their faces. They then saw that the other was doing the same thing and glared. Old problems never changed.

* * *

"Let's make one thing clear."

It was hours later and the residents of the Masaki household were eating dinner. Everyone was in high spirits, which could have contributed to the fact that Sasami's meal of rice and oden was more delicious than any dish in recent memory. Mihoshi had taken it upon herself to make tea and had succeeded in dropping at least three pots of it in the kitchen. This was taken in great stride; there was no room for sadness on such a day.

"Wha' 's't?" Ryoko spoke through a mouthful of rice. Swallowing what she had in her mouth, she adjusted her speech as she cleaned flecks of food off of her face. "Go on, we're listening."

Washu opened up her fan, disapproval on her face. "If I was any sort of mother, I would have taught you table manners," she commented glibly. "Right. I did not create this machine so that you could go and bother Tenchi when he needs to be attending to other matters. He said himself that he is very busy, and there are certain times of the day when there will be no talking to him. Therefore," she announced, snapping her fanclosed and pointing it towards the far wall to her left, "I have compiled the times when we will be able to speak to him. If any one of you goes down into my lab without my permission regarding these times, there will be hell to pay.

"I am speaking," she continued, her eyes narrowed at Ayeka and Ryoko, "primarily to the two of you, especially you, Ryoko."

Outraged, the green-haired beauty leapt to her feet. "What? Why me?"

Ayeka calmly sipped her cup of tea, a refined look on her face. "Is it not obvious? You would simply get in Tenchi's way. I, on the other hand…"

"…are just as bad, if not worse sometimes," Washu finished, aware that Sasami was fidgeting uncomfortably next to her, a result of the conflict. Better wrap this up, she thought swiftly. "You'll pay attention to the list, or I'll know why. No late night talks with Tenchi. And I have to impress upon you, no matter how much any of you don't want to hear it…"

She paused here and took a mouthful of her own tea. "…Tenchi has not been brought back to life. My invention is only a way to manifest his soul in some form in which we can communicate with him. I do not want you to abuse it, or forget the important information. Tenchi is dead," she finished bluntly, coolly noting the wide-eyed looks on the faces of the two girls. "There's nothing we can do to change that."

The following pause was broken by Tenchi's grandfather standing up to leave. "Well said, Miss Washu," he said calmly, his eyes unreadable behind his glasses. "I think it would be best for all of us to remember that."

With that parting statement, he walked away, leaving the rest to begin cleaning up after the meal.

Ryoko and Ayeka only sat and thought of the idea of seeing Tenchi's face the next day.


	4. Crutch

Chapter 4: Crutch

It had been three days since Washu had invented her spectacular machine and already the atmosphere surrounding the Masaki household was extremely lighter. Tenchi's death had widely been treated like a natural disaster, sudden and full of pain. Unfortunately, the knowledge lay in the minds of everyone involved that, unlike a natural disaster, Tenchi's death could have been prevented. Only now did they recover from the shock and begin to rebuild and recover, both from the emotional loss and their detachment from the world.

Of course, for Ryoko and Ayeka, Tenchi was still first and foremost in their minds.

"What the hell is this?" Ryoko spat. "These times make absolutely no sense at all! At this rate we'll never be able to see him!"

The space pirate and the Jurai princess examined the paper Washu had given them which referenced the dates and times were available to communicate with Tenchi in the afterworld, according to their daily schedule. At first, they could not see anything relating to Tenchi at all. Most of the items seemed to comprise what one would find on a list of chores (such as "8:00-wash dishes" or "4:00-take out garbage") Then, Ayeka spotted something near the bottom of the page that made her blood boil.

It read **_7:30-8:00: Talk to Tenchi_**.

"Who does that little taskmaster think she is?" Ayeka shrieked, fighting the urge to rip the piece of paper to little bits. "A measly half-hour is not even near enough time to talk to Tenchi!" Clenching her hands into shaking fists, she turned about face, as swift as any army officer, and prepared to stomp off in a huff. "I'm willing to give Washu-san a piece of my mind!"

Ryoko went even farther than Ayeka in her fit of rage: she actually DID try to tear the list up. However, before she could even put a crease in the offending paper, a metallic sheen sparkled across it as quick as a lightning strike and the paper list instantly became a steel one. Ryoko quickly found herself on the floor, groaning as the steel trapped her hands to the ground. Unable to help herself, Ayeka burst out laughing at Ryoko's plight, secretly glad that she was not in her position.

A second gale of laughter coming from the kitchen doorway joined Ayeka's as the space pirate struggled to free herself. The girls quieted as Washu entered the room, grinning as widely as a satisfied tiger and laughing fit to burst. "It's a neat little trick, isn't it?" she giggled, pointing at Ryoko's now throbbing hands. "I developed it in my spare time. It's not difficult really, just recomposing some ions here and there…but anyway," the scientist continued, aware that she was beginning to ramble, "What exactly were you planning on doing with that time sheet?"

Ryoko instantly stopped nursing her wounded hands and glared menacingly at Washu, resentful fire burning in her eyes. "What was I going to do? I was going to reduce it to ash, that's what I was going to do! What genius came up with that plan?"

"This genius," Washu answered simply. "And you'll abide by those times or face the consequences."

"But why?" Ayeka demanded, spreading her arms out beseechingly. "Surely you understand that we want to see Tenchi as much as possible? Why would you only let us have that little amount of time?" A resolute expression came into her face. "We should be able to see him whenever we want!"

Washu stared silently at Ayeka, and the princess thought she could see sadness in the scientist's calculating eyes. Finally, with a resigned sigh, Washu began again. "Ayeka, if you were given the time to see Tenchi whenever you wanted…how would you spend it?"

"I would spend every bit of that time speaking with Tenchi," Ayeka replied without hesitation.

"That's exactly my point," Washu shot back. She bit back impatience as she continued to explain herself. "I told the both of you at the beginning of all this that you should remember to not get more attached to Tenchi than you already are. Obviously, I did not take into account that you two were already obsessed with him while he was still alive. I want the both of you to pay attention to the real world and not dwell on the affairs of the dead." She snapped her fan open irately and hit Ryoko on the head with it, ignoring the space pirate's painful yelp. "And you won't get on with your lives if you spend every waking hour talking to a dead man!"

Washu glared suspiciously at her charges. "Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes'm," they replied meekly, unready to begin the argument anew. Another time, another place would be best. They left the room without another word, although their minds still rebelled against the unfairness of it all.

However, once Washu was out of earshot, the girls were free and adamant with their complaints.

"Oooooh, this pisses me off!" Ryoko wailed as she dangled upside down in midair.

"Could you please not do that?" Ayeka snapped irritably. "Your floating around the house must be the most distracting thing I've ever seen!"

"No can do. I'm so mad, I can't stand it!"

"I hate to say it, but I agree with you, Ryoko," Ayeka said sedately, determined to ignore the other's annoying behavior. "It's too cruel of Washu to build that machine and then not let us use it."

"Damn straight!" Ryoko shouted, startling the nearby Ryo-oh-ki into scrambling out of the room. "What's all this 'don't-talk-to-dead-Tenchi' crap?" After a few more seething and intelligible grumbles, Ryoko forced herself to calm down; there had to be a way around Washu…and although she didn't want to admit it, flying into a rage would not help her situation.

"Washu doesn't understand," she finally managed in a normal tone of voice. A dreamlike quality came into her eyes as she continued to drift through the air. "Tenchi may be dead on earth…but her machine has made him alive again."

Ayeka was sincerely startled to hear Ryoko wax sentimental. "Yes," she agreed softly, still pointedly looking away from Ryoko. "I…feel the same way."

A delicate quiet permeated the room like an unseen mist. Then, Ryoko slapped her thigh in a businesslike way and said to Ayeka in a confident tone, "That does it! I'm willing to do whatever it takes to see Tenchi more than a measly half-hour a day, aren't you?"

"I certainly am," Ayeka replied evenly; she wasn't sure what to make of the gleam in Ryoko's eyes. "What exactly are you proposing?"

Ryoko's blunt answer hit Ayeka like a hammer. "I think we should work together…for the time being."

A leaden silence fell, and all Ayeka could do was gape in disbelief at the blushingly determined space pirate standing before her. "…Beg pardon?" she finally managed to croak.

"Look, I know this isn't like me," Ryoko hastily explained, now looking as though she wished she hadn't brought it up, "but I don't think I can convince Washu alone. And I hate to say it, but you do have more…diplomatic skills. Even if you are a spoiled brat." Ignoring the princess's angry stare, she continued, "If we work together, we might be able to accomplish more."

She drifted back down onto the ground and held out her hand to the startled Ayeka. "All right?"

Ayeka stared suspiciously at the outstretched hand, slightly put off by Ryoko's civil behavior. If Tenchi wasn't involved, the princess would have refused the alliance immediately, but for his sake she took pause. Entering into this deal held two possible outcomes; to Ayeka it was like befriending a lion. She would constantly be in danger of being disposed of if Ryoko did not need her anymore.

However…She looked into Ryoko's eyes and noticed once more that almost demonic gleam within them. Perhaps it was her imagination, but the pirate's determination seemed sincere. Taking a deep breath, she slowly reached out and grasped Ryoko's hand, receiving a satisfied smile in return.

"That's more like it. I knew you wouldn't resist that offer, you're too much of a goodie-two-shoes." Pulling the princess in closer to her, she said in barely more than a whisper, "Don't get me wrong. Once Tenchi's within our grasp, it's every girl for herself. Got it?"

Ayeka eyed the space pirate and then burst into a wide grin. This was more like the Ryoko she was used to. "Agreed. May the best woman win."

"I never thought I'd live to see this day," said a voice from the doorway, and the girls' expressions turned to stone. The pink-haired scientist was standing in the doorway once again.

"You know," she said smugly to the two alien maidens, whose heads now hung in shame, "You'll want to be a lot more discreet about your plans. Especially you, Ryoko. Your voice is like a foghorn the way you shout everything." Deflecting the icy daggers Ryoko's eyes now threw towards her with a cold smile, Washu turned on her heel and walked away.

"Oh, and by the way," she said as she left, "If you do anything to make me mad, I can always shut down the machine. Not everybody here is using it like a crutch."

Ryoko and Ayeka stared speechlessly at Washu's retreating back. After she was gone, Ryoko muttered a barely audible "What was that about?"

* * *

A smiling and happy Sasami sat outside the Masaki house, humming a cheery tune to herself as she completed sewing a clumsily made scarf. As she admired her handwork, she thought for a second about how Tenchi would have looked with it if he were still alive.

Her happy mood started to fade and the clacking of her knitting needles ground to a stop. Tears began to well unbidden into her eyes. Then, she shook her head roughly and began to knit again. _I can't feel sad anymore_, she thought stubbornly to herself. _Tenchi nii-san wouldn't want that_.

"Whatcha makin', Sasami?" an approaching Mihoshi said cheerfully, having not noticed the young girl's previous turmoil.

"Oh…it's a scarf! I think I'm finally starting to get knitting." She unfolded the scarf and presented it to the blonde. "What do you think?"

Mihoshi stared at the scarf and began to sweat uncontrollably. It was very knobby in places and many of the stitches were uneven. _But oh_, she thought guiltily as she stared into Sasami's innocent eyes, _what would poor Sasami-chan think if I told her that?_

"Well?"

_I've got to say something, or else she'll get suspicious! _"Well…" began the officer, a fake smile plastered on her face.

A sudden roaring sound saved Mihoshi the embarrassment of answering. It almost sounded like the death of a giant, majestic animal, and seconds later followed, fiery and dangerous, a humongous crash a short distance away. Upon impact, whatever it was lit the woods with a perilous light and made the skies seem dark in comparison.

"Oh my God!" a panicked Mihoshi cried out, getting to her feet with a flustered hop-skip. "What was that? I can't believe the noise that made!"

"I heard the sound," Kiyone said as she hurriedly arrived on the scene. Even the normally calm galactic officer had fear in her eyes. "What's going on?"

"Something crashed in the woods behind the Masaki shrine!" Sasami yelled, gesticulating wildly towards the point of impact.

"Kiyoneeee…" Mihoshi moaned, immediately dashing over to her partner and trapping her in a viselike hug.

"Oh, for God's sake, Mihoshi, pull yourself together! Are you an officer or not?" snapped Kiyone. While shrieking a response, Mihoshi gripped her tighter. Near to choking, Kiyone pried Mihoshi away from her and said, "All right! All right! We're going to go check it out!"

* * *

As the trio snuck warily towards the crash site, they could not help but notice the strong smell of flaming metal in the air. Its oppressing stench nearly made Sasami vomit into her hands. "It smells…terrible…" she choked out through her sudden wave of nausea as she fought to stay standing.

"What could possibly have created this big of an impact?" Kiyone thought aloud, noticing deep impressions in the ground beneath them where the earth had cracked. "Surely not a ship…"

"Kiyone, look!" Mihoshi shouted excitedly.

They had reached a large crater formed by the crash. As Kiyone peered over the top to see what Mihoshi was talking about she could not help but gasp at the awesome sight. At the bottom of the depression lay what looked like a once state-of-the-art spaceship. However, it was now reduced to a crushed heap of metal and debris. Somehow during its decent it had caught fire and the conflagration began to spread the width of the ship. It was a terrible sight, and Kiyone's eyes began to water as she watched the cruiser go up in flames.

_What if there were people inside?_ she thought apprehensively as the heat from the flames licked her face. "It IS a ship," she called back to Mihoshi and Sasami. "It's pretty much destroyed by the crash, though." She could hear her voice shaking and tried to regain her composure. "I think we should—"

A crunching sound interrupted the officer's commands. Whipping her head around in surprise and alarm, Kiyone stared at the crumpled entrance to the ship where a shadow now stood. Peering closer, Kiyone identified a young boy…he looked only a bit older than Sasami…dragging something out of the wreckage. The flames perfectly illuminated the strained look on the boy's face as he struggled with his load.

"Dear God," Kiyone muttered under her breath and rushed forward to help the child. The heat brushed her face as she approached, and now she could see what the boy was dragging: a young man, his clothes nearly burned off, completely unconscious. As she relieved the boy of his burden, she shot a hard glance towards him and shouted, "What happened?"

The boy, stoic up until that point, suddenly gave a pained cry and collapsed into tears at Kiyone's feet. "Please," he wailed amid the carnage, clutching onto the other man as if he would never let go. "Please…help him…"

* * *

AN: I'm so sorry for the long period between updates. You all must be fed up with me. But I promise that I'll be updating more frequently now.

Comments? Questions? Complaints? I really appriciate any reviews you leave. They fuel my desire to write.


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